Mini M.A.C. by Rebecca Minkoff

Dear Lovelies,

After having difficulties deciding on a colour, I can now happily say that I'm the proud owner of a Mini M.A.C. in Bubblegum :-)

To give you a bit of background information about the label Rebecca Minkoff: it is an American brand named after the designer and owner herself.
Rebecca designed her first handbag in 2005 (which was the Morning After Bag - M.A.B.) and became an overnight sensation.
The Mini Morning After Clutch (Mini M.A.C.) is a small cross body bag, but still large enough to carry your wallet, phone, powder and lipstick. Not only do they come in mind boggeling colours, but you can also get them monogramed and there are always new bags in trend colours being released.
The full-leather bag is impeccably made with a focus on detail.
Unfortunately distribution in Australia is still improvable, so I ordered mine straight out of the US (www.rebeccaminkoff.com)

I took the opportunity to take a few photos while on a weekend trip to Jervis Bay. One of the local beaches - Hyams Beach - is well known for having the whitest and cleanest sand in Australia. It's even so clean that it sqeaks when you walk on it! We were really lucky that the Australian winter is so mild still, I hope you enjoy the pics!

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

 

Beaded Rose Necklace

Dear Lovelies,

I saw this necklace in the online shop of the american J Crew website and knew that I NEEDED this necklace. Being sold out I finally found it on one of my favourite marketplace for handmade and vintage things ETSY.COM. But pictures usually speak louder than words.

Jade combines the necklace fabulously! Check out her blog www.aspoonfulofstyle.com

If you are just as in love as I am you can find this rose necklace in:
red *here*
in cobalt blue *here*
in mint *here*
in white *here*
and in salmon *here*

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Oats! And how to prepare a yummy Bircher Muesli!

Dear Lovelies,

Is it just me or are you guys always searching for different breakfast options as well?
I love breakfast! I even get up earlier just to ensure that I have enough time to eat breakfast properly. But of course just like everyone else I value my sleep and I understand that there's days when every extra minute of sleep counts.
Let me show you a very healthy, yummy, filling AND time saving breakfast option. You can prepare enough for all five work days, pop it in the fridge and it won't go bad as you mix the yoghurt in seperately every morning.

Here's what you need:

❤ 3 cups of rolled oats (invest in the good stuff, it's worth it!)
❤ 1 apple or 1 pear (depending on personal taste)
❤ 1 lemon
❤ 1 cup of orange juice and 1 cup of water
❤ Mixed berries, mixed nuts (oven baked, yumm!) and a pinch of cinnamon

1.) Grate the apple/pear into a bowl and then squeeze the juice of the lemon over it
2.) Pour the oats into a bowl and add grated fruit with lemon juice to it
3.) Mix in one glass of orange juice and one glass of water and stir
4.) Put as many nuts and berries in as you want

That's it! Make sure you put clingwrap on top or put it into an airtight container to be able to store it in the fridge for a few days.

Now you have the perfect basis and to complete your Bircher Muesli you simply take some out of the bowl each morning and add yoghurt of your choice.

I prefer Jalna *click* as it is a natural yoghurt without added sugar and it is pot set! Quality guaranteed!

With Love, 


Coffeebeanlilly

Loafers Are Ballet Flats For Grown Ups!

Dear Lovelies,

I've had my favourite pair of ballet flats for ages now. Im actually talking years here! Simple, black ballet flats which I always found classy and suitable for everything.
After dragging them everywhere - to clubs, to the other end of the world - they have finally inevitably tendered their resignation.
With a little tear in my eye I looked at my now shabby and old looking, always loyal companion and was wondering if I should replace them with another pair.
Now, you might say that I've picked that trend up quite late, but I'm convinced it is an age thing!
I'm finally ready for my first pair of loafers without feeling too old or too serious.
So instead of  investing into black plastic ballet flats I decided to invest into a beautiful black suede leather pair of Diana Ferrari loafers. The elegant golden chain, the slim cut and the material quality were enough arguments for love at first sight.

Diana Ferrari Loafers *click*

Zara coat with individually detachable fake fur ♥

H&M High Waisted Jeans ♥

With Love,


Coffeebeanlilly

Cross Body Bag - Mini M.A.C. by Rebecca Minkoff

Dear Lovelies,

I remember these years when a woman's bag couldn't be large enough - the bigger the better. Big bags are still around and one of my favourite bags is quite a large one too. However, I feel like there's definitely another trend in the making. Women simply don't feel like carrying an XL bag with them whenever they go shoping, or go on a city trip with their loved one (the larger the bag, the more stuff will inevitably end up in there!)
And going out to a club? You wouldn't even consider an XL bag.
Convenient but elegant is the new requirement. The new generation of Cross Body Bags has it all.
I personally like the small ones with a fragile chain instead of a leather strap and with delicate silver or gold hardware. There's so many beautiful cross body bags out there,  but I lost my heart to the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. (Morning After Clutch)

(www.tumblr.com | What Anni Wears )

These Mini M.A.C.s are full leather bags which come in so many different colours which makes it extremely hard to decide which one to buy. I've narrowed it down to the ones with a heart on top but would be happy about any comments from you guys.

 With love, 


 Coffeebeanlilly

Outfit Of The Day - Leather Skirt

Dear Lovelies,

Today's outfit inspiration: a pleated leather skirt (Jay Jays) dressed down by a navy stripes pullover (Dotti), tights and black ankle boots (Zara).

Sunglasses: Dolce&Gabbana | Purse: Ted Baker

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Beauty Basics

Dear Lovelies,

Today I'd like to show you my favourite beauty products. It's of course not a complete listing of all products I use but a small collection of products I can't live without.

Most of them I've used for years and never ever want to use anything else and even the ones which are quite new to my daily routine truly deserve being mentioned as they are brilliant products.

L'Oreal-Bronzing Powder | Maybeline-Mascara | Artdeco-Eyeshadow | Nature's Own-Paw Paw Lipbalm | Bebe-Cream

Artdeco Eyeshadow:
These brilliant eyeshadows all come seperately for putting into a magnetic box. I am totally convinced about their quality, have used them for 15 years now (jeez that sounds like I'm old, but I just started quiet young with using beauty products I guess) and love the brilliance of their colours.
You can get an overview of their products *here*
Have I mentioned that their magnetic boxes come in different and always changing designs and limited editions?

Bebe Cream:
I have used this cream now for ... as long as I can remember! It's the same great formula still and the only cream I can put on my picky skin without causing rashes and pimples. I liberally apply it every evening before I go to bed (when no one cares if you are shiny) and just enjoy the relaxed and smooth feeling of my skin in the morning.

Clinique-Almost Powder MakeUp

Clinique Powder:
Technically it is Make Up. What I love is the texture and that it lasts so long without having to apply it again every two hours. It is super smooth and doesn't make your face look cakey when you apply it with a brush as a Powder. When you use a moist sponge it is a Make Up with the same smooth texture but greater coverage.

Mac-Mineralize Concealer

Mac Concealer:
I prefer liquid concealers over the paste ones just for the sake of the very sensitive area around my eyes and the liquid ones are easier to blend for me. This Mac concealer offers medium coverage for blemishes and circles under the eyes without looking cakey or creasing under the eye.

Maybelline Foundation:
This product is very new in my Beauty Collection, but so far I like it. Maybelline is a good budget option for those who don't want to or can't afford to buy the expensive foundations. I'm totally new to the whole foundation thing as I've always thought I don't really need it. But it just makes your skin look so much more even! This Nude Foam is air infused and has a very light texture. It most certainly doesn't offer massive coverage but for those like me who just want a smoother finish it is perfect as you won't feel like you're wearing it.
P.S.: Budget or expensive product: make sure it always offers SPF!

YSL Lipstick:
Yes I do believe that when you buy a brand you probably pay a large amount just for the name. But even though you may not notice the difference between a luxury and budget product in certain cases I absolutely see why you pay AUD 55 for this Yves Saint Laurent 'Rouge Volupte' lipstick! The application is very smooth and the texture feels a little like lip butter. Even after wearing it for a while it keeps your lips moist and nourished which in combination with the texture gives your lips a comfortable feeling. The lipstick is so highly pigmented that the colour won't wear off too quickly and the great smell and packaging is a bonus.


With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

My Week In Pictures

Hello Lovelies,

This post is the first one of its kind, I just thought it might be interesting for you to see more pictures and read less text.Enjoy.

(from left to right)

What I ate: Fruit salad! Other things too, but I just LOVE all different types of fruit at the moment.
What I enjoyed: Time with my hubby in the Art Gallery of NSW.
What I listened to: Insatiable, aren't I? Two Cds have made it into my collection (YES, I still buy the actual Cd if I think it's worth it): Justin Timberlake - "20/20 Experience" & Pete Murray - "Blue Sky Blue"
Where I danced: Sienna on 252 George Street - so many great and old RnB songs!
What I bought: Far too many things again, but these beautiful booties need to be mentioned! ♥ Ankleboots
What I discovered: Pink is the new Red!


With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

2013

Hello Lovelies,

Although this post might sound very materialistic I thought I should put my "most wanted" things for 2013 on paper to have goals to work towards to.
And also to see these "achievements" by the end of 2013.

Of course not everything is listed, I left out all the everyday little wishes (time with my husband), the big and obvious ones (buying an appartment) and the very secretive ones.

- Michael Kors Hamilton bag black with golden hardware (2) which you can find *here*
- book Fidji or Bali for my Partner Visa (6)
- do a Sailing Course and be able to sail a yacht by the end of 2013 (1)
- buy a car, so I don't longer have to catch the bus to work (I really wouldn't complain if it   wouldn't
  take me an 1,5 hours one way each day), preferably a kind of environmentally friendly one such as a
  Toyota with a hybrid engine
- participate in at least one Charity Run (5) As I'm not going to be able to see my mum on Mother's Day I'm
  planning on participating in the *Mother's Day Classic*
- adopt a little French Bulldog (3)

Not neccessarily in this order.

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Taste of Autumn in Sydney

Dear Lovelies,

While Spring is knocking on the door in the northern hemisphere, here on the southern part of the globe Autumn is slowly but surely taking over.
Since the temperature has dropped to 25 degrees and I have my first little 'bug' that makes my throat feel like a cheese grater, I decided to wear a hat and a scarf today. Nice and toasty, just how I like it. I'm going to snuggle up on the couch now with a cup of lemon tea and let you enjoy the following pictures.
 

Under The Bridge

Paperbag Shorts - H&M

With Love,


Coffeebeanlilly